It’s that time when I start to make my list of resolutions for the New Year. I try very hard not to become discouraged by the fact that I could really just dig out last year’s list and use them again.
Thanks to my Dad, I’m an optomist. I tend to see the glass as always half full. So I really believe–especially at the beginning–that I can actually make some good changes in my life. A partially new me is at least a possibility.
However, I will admit that the top two resolutions on my list are annual repeaters:
1) I’m going to lose weight.
2) I’m going to exercise at least five days a week.
Does that mean that I failed in past years? Not really. (See…I really am a glass half full kind of girl). I’ve always had to keep close tabs on my weight. It’s another thing I inherited from my dad. But I also inherited his solution which was to set a limit on how much weight he would allow himself to gain (five pounds) before he took it off. My taking off time starts in January.
The exercise thing is a bit more problematic for me. Last year I started off strong and walked every day on my treadmill for the whole month of January. Then I reverted to my old couch potato self. This year I’m trying a bribe. Each time I go to my basement to get on the dreaded treadmill, I get to watch a half hour of “Midsommer Murders.” And the DVD set is staying in the basement! So if I want to know “who done it,” I have to go back down to the treadmill the next day and find out.
This year, in addition to my stand-by resolutions, I’m adding a third. In fact, I’m going to put it at the top of my list and I’m going to really take some action. My primary New Year’s resolution for 2010 is to de-clutter my house.
I’ve been thinking about doing this for a long time. Mostly because I am a world class clutterbug. I’ve even done some research on the problem. About eight or nine years ago, I bought a book on Feng Shui and another book about clearing clutter and reorganizing my life. I even read parts of them. I’ve also read tons of articles on simplifying my surroundings, rightsizing my life, and purging my trash.
So on an intellectual level I know that clearing the junk out of my house will improve the flow of chi. I know that untimately, if I’m clutter free, it will help my writing, my creativity, my teaching…and, hopefully, everything else in my life. I’ll even make more money. (Maybe I’ll even be using my treadmill in March or April!)
I know how the de-cluttering thing is done. I’ve been an avid viewer of the Canadian TV show, “Neat,” where this attractive lady comes to your house and saves your sanity (and sometimes your marriage). She not only helps you throw out the trash you’ve been hording, but she also helps you organize what’s left. The show is a lot like “Clean House” but with less “drama” and no yard sale.
But in spite of my knowledge of the process, my kitchen drawers remain the burial grounds for junk, at times, I can no longer walk into my closets, and more times than not, my purse won’t zip shut,
However, this year will be different. I’m actually going to attack the problem. I’m going to set aside two hours a week and go through my house room by room. I think I can handle that. Of course, there will be a bribe involved–a nice glass of Chardonnay to relieve the stress of purging.
And since I’m my father’s daughter, I’m going to believe that next year, I really will be a whole new me. I will no longer be a clutterbug. I’ll be a recovering clutterbug!
Do you have any New Year’s resolutions that you want to share? Or do you have any stories to share about the resolutions that are always with you?
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Hi Cara, good morning. I have a pack rat to the nth degree, but I try to keep some places less cluttered than others. It is quite a hard task though, so I completely understand your need to de-clutter. Now, New Year’s Resolution. I have always stuck to this one I guess, never make a New Year’s Resolution; or rather, never write it down. Think it and it may very well come to fruition. I have this problem with making these types of “promises” to myself. I rarely follow through with them. When I meet a goal let’s say, I chalk it up to, it was time for me to do that. I tend to do things on the spur of the moment, a lot, so making resolutions, at least written ones, really ties my hands. You see, once I write something down, I have to do it, and then it becomes a chore, which then means I can procrastinate doing it. You see, I am a master procrastinator too. Wow that was a really long way to go to get to this point, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. I hope you have a wonderful day today. Good luck with de-cluttering and walking on the treadmill. I hope to one day hear about “whodunit.”
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Paula,
Thanks so much for reading my long winded justification of way I handle New Year’s resolutions.
I actually don’t write my down either. They’re just there, embedded in my mind, haunting me.
What I do write down are to-do lists…every day. I never make it through the whole list, but I get some satisfaction from crossing things off. For example, yesterday, I was able to cross off: “Write blog.”
Thanks so much for your good wishes!
Peace and love to you, also.
Cara
You know Cara, I try the to-do list thing, and yes it is rather gratifying to be able to mark or check off all the things I got done. BUT, I often find that I am making to-do-lists for the to-do-lists. I know I can do it though. I should write one because then I know for sure that what is on it will have to get done. After writing this, I will make one, so that I can get myself on some sort of track. Work begins again in a about one week, and I won’t have time to breathe when the kids get back. So, my end of year Resolution is to write a to-do-list that will help me make it to the beginning of the New Year. How does that sound?
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Hi Paula,
I know all about making to-do lists about my to-do list! When things get really busy, I do what I think you’re talking about. I make a BIGGER to-do list that covers things I need to do over a bigger span of time.
And I write them (you’ll love this) on a paper plate. And I put that paper plate on the island counter in my kitchen so that it doesn’t get lost in the other smaller to-do lists in my office.
I feel an enormous amount of satisfaction when I can finally throw out that paper plate!
Good luck with getting everything done before you go back to work. I write all the time, but I go back to teaching January 19. You can imagine the number of things on my list before that.
I hope you have a wonderful and productive New Year. Thanks so much fo commenting on my blog.
Cara
I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. I just do them no matter what time of year.
I am currently working on your #1 goal. I’ve lost 24 pounds since Aug 15/09 by playing competitive badminton (your #2 goal) five nights per week (instead of previous two nights), cutting back on my portions (I’ve gradually worked down to 1/2 a dinner plate), cutting out pop (which caused my weight gain, but I have been known to still have a mixed drink a few times per year that apparently has pop in it), and cutting out nighttime snacks (that I’ve broken twice because I didn’t eat enough supper). I’ve tried doing some of these things in the past, but never continued longer than a few months (as I missed my pop). This time around I am motivated by health concerns, so I hope you don’t get to that. Luckily, all my problems have been short-term nuisances, but I’m 50 now and can’t afford to carry all this extra weight.
I also walk as often as possible. The secret for me is to have a walking partner and to walk at the same time every day. It becomes a habit and you don’t want to let down your partner (whereas I could let myself down every day if I wanted).
I’ve been working on your #3 goal for years now. I live on a street with 20 houses. Every year for the past 23 years, I have organized a street yard sale for the first weekend in May (so we can catch the cottagers before the May 24th weekend). Between 6-13 homes have their own yard sales, so we get rid of plenty. I have a certain area of my crawl space designated for “yard sale items” so I can just toss stuff in there throughout the year.
I too watched all the episodes of Neat with Hellen Buttigieg and even subscribe to her e-newsletter for monthly tips. It’s one thing to see what she does but another to actually do it. I wish you luck with your purse (I have one zippered area for receipts and remove them once weekly), your kitchen drawers (I don’t have extras — I have family who keep putting stuff in the wrong places instead!), and your closet (I installed a second bar across the entire bottom of my closet to make more room, plus we removed all closet doors because they hid too much, made it too dark inside, and were too noisy). Remember that it can’t be all done at once (unless there’s 48 hours in a day, I suppose)! Good luck!
Congrats on the weight loss Laney. I should probably get myself in a routine now too. But, alas, I am soooo lazy when it comes to exercising by myself. I can talk myself out of anything…lol.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Wow…my New Year’s resolution list looks exactly like yours!! Weight, Exercise, and declutter. I try to do my declutter on Friday’s when I am off work and the kids are in school. I won’t let myself quit until I have a full garbage bag of trash or donations. Then I allow myself to sit down…read blogs, read email, or read a book. I really need to work on this next year. I have 4 kids and we live in a really tiny house…so it always looks cluttered. I have made some headway but not nearly enough. Especially the attic which tends to get full with stuff that I can’t find any place downstairs for it to go.
Exercise is a big problem for me also. I was doing really good there for awhile – walking everyday to my Walk Away the Pounds DVDs but got off track somehow and became a couch potato again. Dieting was going well too…I have lost 20 pounds…but the holidays came and I totally went off track. So now I need to find the determination that I had before and get motivated again.
Hope you have a happy New Year’s and good luck on the resolutions!!!
Laney4,
Wow! I’m so impressed with your success. Congratulations! You’re inspiring me. I’ve always thought that taking off weight was easier than keeping it off. (Which is why I have to restart the process every January.) And I do know that regular exercise is the key.
You’ve also given me some ideas about the clutter problem. And I agree, it’s definitely one thing to watch Helen and another thing to do it. But this year, I’m determined to do something.
And you’re right about colset doors. I’d have to do something if I removed all of mine.
Thanks so much. And Happy New Year!
Cara
Kara,
Congratulations on your success! You’re doing better than I am. I like the idea of setting aside a certain day of the week for the de-cluttering so I”m going to steal that idea.
And I know that the key to the exercise thing is to do it long enough to make it a habit. There’s a certain number of weeks that’s supposed to work. I was a runner once, and I did it long enough and often enough that it became an automatic part of my life. That’s what I’m aiming for again.
Good luck on your resolutions! And Happy New Year!
Cara
Hi Cara!
Well I dont normally make new year resolutions cause I know Im not gonna stick to them, lol! Although this year I have to stick to losing weight. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and for my health I have to lose some weight. I had lost 17 pounds in 2 months then the holidays hit and I went back to my bad habits and ate things I shouldnt have. So here I go again. Lets hope this time it sticks.
Have a great New Years!!
Alina,
Good luck with your weight loss. You’ve done a great job to lose 17 pounds in two months. And I’m sure you’ll get back on track.
I wish you a healthy New Year! Thanks for commenting.
Best,
Cara
I don’t tend to make New Year’s Resolutions because I never can keep them. I’m with you on the exercising, I need to start myself. I just keep putting it off.
Nicole,
I know all about putting it off. I’m sitting here this morning reading the somments on my blog–and then I have a chapter to write in the story I’m working on.
There’s no reason in the world why I have to wait until Friday morning to start the treadmill routine. But I’m putting if off anyway.
Happy New Year! Thanks for commenting.
Best,
Cara
This is declutter year for me. My goal is to tell my boys to come get their stuff and move my office upstairs into a room with an actual door!